Tadaima
by chibijem
Summary: Yuki comes home to an empty house....but not for long.


Tadaima

by

Chibijem

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters within and am making no financial gain from this work of fiction.

A/N: Dedicated to my Imoto-san: for giving me ideas to ponder and for always being there for me. You are simply the best!

* * *

Todo Yukifumi pulled his keys out of the lock and swung open the door, "Tadaima." He closed the door, set his bags on the floor and waited. When the sound of running feet didn't materialize he sighed. _They're out. I should have called to let Maria know I was coming home early._ He set his keys on the table and took a quick glance at the small mountain of mail with his name on it. _Later...I'll deal with it all later,_ he thought tiredly as he headed down the hall to the master bedroom. 

As he undressed and put his wallet and other personal belongings on his dresser, his gaze went to the photographs staring at him. He ran one long finger down the image of Maria in her wedding dress and smiled at the memory. He picked up the next one of Yukihiko taken just days after he had been born, laying in his arms, Maria hugging both of them. He remembered how close to tears he had been in the days following, so touched he had been. As he strode nude into the adjoining bath, he saw Maria's calendar on her desk. He saw the notation for lunch with a friend and knew he had some time before she would be back. He sighed again, wishing with everything he had that she would walk through the door with their son at that exact moment. He had missed them terribly during the publicity tour that had had him away for the past month. Emails and telephone calls just didn't cut it.

Half an hour later, he was sitting at the desk in the front room, going through the stack of mail. He hadn't bothered to dress but had donned a bathrobe, fully intending on taking a nap as soon as he finished returning phone calls and reading the mail. He sipped at his coffee and yawned. _We need to talk about scaling down these tours. I'm worn out._ He set aside the rest of his mail and moved to the huge couch, turning on the television but muting the sound. He settled with a pillow and let himself drift off.

"Just a second, sweetheart." Maria told her son as he squirmed in her arms. She closed the door and stubbed her toe. Looking down to see what she had hurt herself on, she let out a tiny gasp when she saw the luggage and raised her head. "Yuki," She said softly.

"Okasan?"

"Your Otosan is home." She told him, seeing delight bloom on her son's face at the news. Walking down the short hall to the main living area, her heart stopped when she saw her slumbering husband on the couch. _Kami, he looks so good,_ she thought. _And so tired._ She set their son on his feet but held him, feeling the muscles bunch and knowing he wanted his father. "Shhhh, Otosan is sleeping. You need to let him rest, okay?" She rubbed his back, trying to calm him.

Eyes just like his father's stared up at her. ""Tosan tired?"

"Hai, we need to let him sleep." She watched as her son carefully and quietly walked over to the long figure on the couch. She was about to call out softly when she saw him lift a hand but smiled when Yukihiko gently ran his hand over his father's long hair and patted the strong shoulder.

Maria followed and seeing Yuki only had on a robe and goose bumps were rising on his chilled skin, covered him with a blanket from a chest they used as a coffee table. She gave a start when a warm, large hand grasped her wrist. She looked up and saw Yuki's loving eyes watching her. "Gomen ne, you looked cold. Go back to sleep." She told him softly, tucking the blanket around him.

"Arigato," he began. He looked down his body to see his son peeking around Maria's skirt. He held out a hand to him. "Tadaima." He told the younger Todo as the little boy climbed up to settle next to his father.

"O...Okaer...Okaerina..." Yukihiko started, but the word was too long for his years.

"Okaerinasai." Maria said to both the men in her life.

"Hai." The small voice chirped. He glanced at his father. "Tired." A question and a statement, tinged with concern.

"A little," Yuki replied, feeling the exhaustion starting to take over again.

""Tosan sleep." He reached out and patted his father's cheek gently.

Maria smiled and brushed the hair away from her sexy husband's forehead , leaned down and pressed a kiss there. "Sleep. I'll wake you when dinner is ready."

Yuki's long arm came out from underneath the covers, a hand cupped her cheek. "Gomen ne."

"Iie, you look like you could sleep for days." She replied, worry on her face.

"Mmmm, hai." He said sleepily.

""Kasan, I sleep too." His parents looked at him, surprise on their faces. Their son hated naps and trying to get him down for one was always a trial. Maria lifted the cover while Yuki shifted to make room for the little boy. ""Tosan and me sleep now." He said settling into the cradle of his father's arms.

_What I wouldn't give to be Yukihiko right now,_ Maria thought arranging the blanket around the men in her life. "Okay?" She asked kneeling to look into Yuki's drowsy eyes.

"Arigato." He replied, sleep overtaking him.

"Aishteru, anata." She said leaning in to press a soft kiss to his lips.

"Aishteru, koiishi." He returned, his voice fading as sleep overtook him.

Maria caressed her husband's strong face, smiling gently before moving away, leaving father and son to their slumber. She stopped midway to the kitchen; _dinner can wait_, she thought, turning back to her men. She gently tugged on the covers, rousing Yuki.

"What about dinner?" He asked, half asleep.

"It can wait, "she replied, wrapping an arm around the two Todo males. "Family time first." She pressed a kiss to his lips and watched as he slipped back to sleep, a tender smile on his face.

FIN


End file.
